Octave key mechanism for wood-wind instruments



July 17, 1928. 1,677,563-

A. LOOMIS OCTAVE KEY MECHANISM FOR WOOD WIND INSTRUMENTS 7 Filed Nov. 17,. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 \VEWWR k\\u\ Loovms (has . July 17, .1928. 1,677,563

AI LO'OMI S OCTAVE KEY MECHANISM FOR WOOD WIND INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a I v\\ 9 v 1 3% wanna Patented July 17, 1928.

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7 .ALLEN LOOMIS, OF ELKHART, INDIANA.

OCTAVE KEY MnoiriiNIsM ro nwoon-wIND INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed November 17, 1926. Serial No. 148,783.

The present invention relates to instruments of the wood wmd type, that is, those which are characterized by a body tube pierced with lateral holes for controlling the cause parts of the body tube near the mouth or blowing end of the instrument to extend beside and more or less nearly pa allel with one another. Instruments otthis class include baritone and bass saxophones, sarrusophones, and others, the nature of which is sufiiciently indicated by the foregoing reference to specific instruments.

The object of the invention is to provide a key mechanism for controlling the octave holes of instruments of this class, which has determinate motions and a definite and positive action, and is simple in character and economical to manufacture, and parts of which are applicable interchangeably to instruments of diiierent sizes and models. A further object is to so form interenn'aginp; members of the mechanism, which are mounted on diiterent and separable parts of the instrument, that these members may be brought into and out of engagement without danger of injury or distortion, when the parts of the instrument are assembled and disassembled. The invention consists in the principles and structural characteristics described in the following specification with reference to a specific embodiment. The embodiment here chosen for illustration is that applied to the baritone saxophone; but it is to be understood that the same principles may be embodied in essentially similar mechanisms, with appropriate changes in dimensions and locations of some of the parts, adapted for other instruments of the type and class above mentioned. 1 k

In the drawings provided herewith to illustrate the invention,-'

i Fig. 1 is a perspective view of so much of the body tube and mouth tube of a baritone saxophone, and the key mechanism mounted thereon, as is necessary to illustrate the invention;

Fig. Q'is a side elevation of the mouth tube and ad acent part ofthe body tube, with the upper octave key and part ofthe mechanism for operating the same;

Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on a plane approximately indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like reference characters designate the same parts in all the figures The body tube comprises a main portion or section 1, asecond portion 2 connected with the main section .1 by a bend 3, and a portion 4 connected with'the portion 2 by a bend 5 and terminating in a socket 6 and adapted to receive and hold detach'ably a separate mouth pipe 7. The portions 1, 2 and 4 are approximately parallel with each other and may be made in accordance with established practice relating to instruments of this class, such reversely curved forma tion providing the necessary length of tubular body for a low pitched instrument and at the same time bringing the finger keys for controlling the tone holes within convenient reach of the performers hands. The body tube and mouth pipe together form the complete body of the instrument.

The upper octave hole (and by upper,

in this connection, I mean the hole nearer to the mouthpiece of the instrument) is provided in the side of the mouth pipe '7 and is opened and closed by a stopper or cover 8 carried by a lever or key 9 which may be pivoted in a well known manner on a pivot 10 held in posts rising from the mouth tube, one or which posts is shown at 11. The lever 9 has a second arm 9 projecting to the opposite side of the pivot 10 from the cover 8, and provided on its end with a wide foot 12. This lever is arranged and movable in a plane substantially parallel to the surface elements of the tube portion on which it is mounted.

The lower octave hole (that is, the one farther away from the mouthpiece of the instrument) is arranged at a suitable location in the side of the tube section 1 and is covered'by a stopper or cover 13 carried by an armor key li. whic'his' secured to a sleeve 15,

the latter having pivotal motion about a pivot rod 16 mounted in posts 17 and 18 from the body of the instrument and extending substantially parallel thereto. A second arm 19 extends over the cover 13 and is independently mounted on the pivot rod 16, being secured to a sleeve 20 which surrounds said pivot rod between the arm 14: and the post 17. Arm 19 extends also to the opposite side of the pivot rod from the hole cover 13 and is connected to a bridge rod 21 which in turn is connected with one of the tone hole keys, in essentially the same manner as shown in my prior patent for octave key, granted May 18, 1926, No. 1,585,295. A spring is mounted to act on the last named key, substantially as shown in the prior patent above identified or inv any other suit able desired way, and tends co stantly to raise the finger key and depress arm 19 upon the cover 13; normally closing said cover and holding it in closed position.

The arm 1d is coupled to one arm of a lever 22 which is mounted in a floating manner and which I call a floating lever. Such floating lever is made from a bar of suitable stock mounted on and secured to a sleeve 23 whlch surrounds a pivot rod 2 1 carried by two arms 25 and 26 which are secured to a sleeve 27 surrounding and pivoted on a pivot rod 28 mounted in posts 29 and 30 rising from the instrument body. The posts 25) and 30 are in a line extending longitudinally of the tube portion 1, whereby the pivot rod 28 is held approximately parallel to such tube portion, and pivot 242 is substantially parallel to the rod 28. Thus the floating lever lies and moves in a plane transverse to the adjacent body portion by which it is supported, and transverse also to the plane in which the upper octave lever or key 9 is constrained to move.

The sleeve 27, arms 25 and 26, and pivot 2-rconstitute a carrier for the floating lever which is rotatable about the pivot rod 28 so as to raise and depress the pivot or fulcrum 2d of the'floating lever. A key 31 secured to sleeve 27 may be depressed by one of the digits of the performer and serves as the means to raise the floating lever pivot, while a spring 32 mounted in the post 30 and engaging a spring hook 33 on the sleeve 27 is the means for depressing the floating lever pivot and is effective to that end whenever the key 31 is released and left free.

The coupling between arm 14 and the floating lever is made by means of a pivot pin 3d projecting from the side arm 14-, and a block 35 mounted. on said pin and occupying a slot or notch 36 in the adjacent floating lever arm, having a sliding and guided engagement with the arms of such notch. By virture of this coupling, the floating lever is enabled to apply force in either direction to the stopper carrying arm 1 1, and movement of these arms in divergent paths is permitted. The notch 36 extends to the outer end of the floating lever arm to permit entrance of the block therein when the parts are assembled, and the block has flanges at its opposite edges which embrace the floating lever and interlock therewith to prevent the block slipping oil from its pivot 34.

The floating lever has a second arm 22 which extends between the body and the sleeve 27 and carries an extension 22 in position to bear on the foot 12 of the upper octave hole stopper key. 'As a preferred form of construction, the floating lever with its two arms is made of a single piece of bar stock, and the extension 22 is made of a second piece entered at one end and secured in the arm 22. and then extending in a bent formation as shown in the drawing from that arm in the proper direction and to the proper distance to bear on the foot 12. The extension 22 has suitable longitudinal extent and the foot 12 has suitable lateral extent to maintain such engagement in different positions of the floating lever and the upper octave hole lever. In effect, the extension is a U-shaped bar secured by one of its legs to the floating lever proper, in a plane perpendicular (transverse) to the plane in which the floating lever moves. It will be noted that the bend in this bar is located uppermost, in the same sense that the bond 3 and mouthpipe are considered the upper parts of the instrument.

The foot 12 is of curved formation as to its outer surface 12, that is, the surface which engages the extension 22", and the curvature of this surface, when the upper octave key is closed by its spring, is concentric with the surface of the cylindrical joint which holdsthe mouthpipe to the body. The ends of this surface are rounded on curves of small radius. The length of this surface is great enough to subtend a relatively large angle, for instance, one of more or less.

'It follows from this construction, including the fact that the bend in the U-shaped bar 22 is convex toward the foot when the mouthpipe is being applied to the body tube, that there is no danger or liability of the octave key foot becoming improperly engaged with thefioating lever extension, and either of these members being bent or otherwise injured, when the mouthpipe is being applied to or removed from the body tube. These parts of the instrument body are usually fitted together so closely that in assembling or disassembling them they must be pushed together or drawn apart with a wringing movement. But by virture of the characteristics just described, it is impossible to injure the octave key or floating lever extension even though no attention is paid to them when the mouthpipe is applied to the body tube. This feature is usable, not only in the specific form and arrangement here shown, but in various reversals and other modifications thereof, in this and other-key mechanisms for instruments of the general nature of that herein disclosed.

In the normal position of the mechanism,

' that is, the position when the finger keys are not pressed upon, the spring 32 holds the floating lever fulcrum in its position of nearest approach to the instrument body, pressing the arm2i2 of the floating lever against the instrument body and cooperating with the reaction of the body on the floating lever to hold the octave hole stopper 13 in closed position. Preferably a butler pad 37 is applied to the body under arm 22 to receive the pressure of the latter. The spring controlled arm 19 also acts on the stopper 13 to the same effect; and the spring 38 attached to the upper octave key lever 9, and bearing on the mouth pipe member of the instrument body, holds the upper stopper closed.

when the key 31 is depressed, without depression of the key which controls arm 19,

I the floating lever pivot 34 and its arm 22 are raised, the floating lever then turning about the pin 34 and sliding on the block 35. The extension 22 then presses on the foot 12 and opens the upper octave hole. This action occurs because thespring pressure applied through arm 19 to stopper l3 and the pivot connection at 34 with the floating lever is designedly stronger than the force exerted by spring 38 of the upper octave hole lever in the opposite direction through the floating lever to the same connection. If the finger key which controls arm 19 is pressed upon while key 31 is depressed, the restraint exerted byarm 19 on stopper 13 is released and the spring 38 of the upper octave key then becomes efl'ective to close the upper stopper and to turn the floating lever about its fulcrum and open stopper 13. The latter stopper and its carrying arm have no spring of their own, but are controlled by the springs and keys above described.

This mechanism is similar in principle to that described in my previously identified patent, and the respects in which it differs therefrom are mainly in the character of the floating lever and the interrelation and arrangement betweenthe floating lever and the upper octave key, herein particularly described; the floating lever being substantially a straight bar with a curved extension piece on one end arranged between the two portions of the body to which the upper octave key and the floating lever carrier respectively are pivoted, and bearing directly on the upper octave key lever. Floating levers of the same structure as here shown, may be applied to a number of different models of instruments, of the same class but diilering in dimensions, and such differences in dimensions may be taken care of by providing extension pieces 22 of appropriately different dimensions. These extension pieces, being made of standard rod or bar stock, may be cut in any lengths and bent to a curve of any radius, and may be secured to the floating lever proper at any angle, as required to bridge take place and notwithstanding that motions which are opposite to one another in the sense above defined may occur in the same absolute direction. For instance, rise of the floating lever arm 22 with its extension 22 causes depression or lowering of the upper octave key foot, in the sense of the foregoing definitions, although the extension 22 and the foot 12 move in approximately the same absolute direction.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let .ters Patent is 1. In a wood wind instrument having a tubular body, different portions of which are side by side, and having octave holes in such different portions, keys for the respective octave holesmounted on said different portions, a floating lever supported from one of said port-ions and engaged with the octave key on said portion, said floating lever extending into the space between said tube portions in position to bear on the other octave key.

'2. In a wood wind instrument of the class having a'body tube with portions side by side, a springless octave key and a floating lever carrier pivotally mounted on one of said portions, a floating lever pivotally carried by said carrier and having two arms, one of which is coupled with said octave key, a spring acting on said carrier tending to depress the pivot of the floating lever, the

second arm of which reacts against the ad jacent part of the body, a second octave key mounted on an adjacent portion of the body beside the part above specified, and an extension i'rom the second named arm of the floating lever crossing the space between the adjacent parts of the body into position for applying pressure to the second named octave key.

3. In a wood wind instrument of the class described, a floating lever having two arms and an extension projecting from the side mechanism of one of said arms and being bent back and extending across the end of said arm at a distance therefrom.

4. In a wood wind instrument of the class specified, a floating lever consisting of a bar having two arms,-and a U-shaped extension fastened by one of its legs to one of said arms in a plane transverse to the plane of action of the lever.

5. In a wood Wind instrument of the character described, a key lever having a laterally extended foot and movable in a prescribed plane, a floating lever mounted to oscillate in a plane transverse to that in which the key lever has its movement, and a bent extension rod secured at one end to one arm of the floating lever, and arranged at its outer part at a distance from the lever and crossing the plane in which the lever moves, and being in position to bear on said foot.

6. In a wood wind instrument having separable tube sections jointed together, parts of which extend side by side, a key including a floating lever mounted on one of said sections and having an extension member, and a key member mounted on the other of said sections, the said extension and key members being in the space between said tube parts, and one of them having a portion concentric with the joint between the tube sections adapted to bear at its outer side on the other of said members when the separable tube sections are in different angular relations about the axis of the joint.

7. An instrument of the character described comprising a body tube and a separable tube having a cylindrical joint be tween them,'about the axis of which one of said tubes is rotatably movable, the body tube having a portion beside and substantially parallel to said joint, and a key mechanism including a member mounted on the separable tube section and having an external engaging surface extending concentrically with said axis, and a floating lever mounted on the last mentioned portion of the bodytube and provided with an extension in the space between said joint and parallel portion projecting into contact with said engagingsurface.

8. An instrument of the character described comprising a body tube having a reverse bend and portions side by side, a mouth tube separably connected to an end of one of said portions by a cylindrical joint about the axis of which it is rotatably movable, and a key mechanism including a key mounted on the mouth tube and provided with a foot having a lateral external contact surface of substantial extent concentric with said joint, a key-operating floating lever pivotally supported from the portion of the body tube at one side of that portion to'which the mouth tube is attached, and an extension from the said floating lever crossing the adjacent space into engagement with said contact surface.

9. An instrument of the character described comprising a body tube having a reverse bend and portions side by side, a mouth tube separably connected to an end of one of said portions by a cylindrical joint about the axis of which it is rotatably movable, and a key mechanism including a key mounted on the mouth tube and provided with a foot having a lateral external contact surface; of substantial extent concentric with said joint, a key-operating floating lever pivotally supported from the portion of the body tube at one side of that portion to whichthe mouth tube is attached, and a U-shaped extension bar projecting from the floating lever across the space between the adjacent portions of the tube into engagement with said contact surface and arranged with its bend convex toward the position from which said foot travels when the mtuth tube is being applied to the body tu e.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ALLEN LOOMIS. 

